Laura Chinchilla
Laura Chinchilla Miranda (born 28 March 1959)[1] served as the President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. She is Costa Rica's first female president. She is the sixth woman to be elected president of a Latin American country. She was one of Óscar Arias Sánchez's two vice presidents. She was his administration's Minister of Justice.[2] She was the governing PLN candidate for President in the 2010 general election. She won with 46.76% of the vote.[3]
Laura Chincilla | |
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In office 8 May 2010 – 8 May 2014 | |
Vice President | Alfio Piva |
Preceded by | Óscar Arias |
Succeeded by | Luis Guillermo Solís |
Personal details | |
Born | Laura Chinchilla Miranda 28 March 1959 ![]() |
Political party | National Liberation Party |
Spouse(s) | José María Rico (2000–2019; his death) |
Children | 1 son |
Alma mater | University of Costa Rica Georgetown University |
Personal life
changeChinchilla was born in Carmen Central, San José in 1959. Her father was Rafael Ángel Chinchilla Fallas. He was a former comptroller of Costa Rica.[source?] Her mother was Emilce Miranda Castillo. She married Mario Alberto Madrigal Díaz on 23 January 1982 and divorced on 22 May 1985. She had a son in 1996 with José María Rico Cueto, a Spanish lawyer who has a Canadian citizenship; Chinchilla married him on 26 March 2000.[4] He died in April 2019, aged 84.[5]
Political career
changeChinchilla graduated from the University of Costa Rica. She received her master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University.[6][7] Before politics, Chinchilla worked as a NGO consultant in Latin America and Africa. She specialized in judicial reform and public security. She served in the José María Figueres Olsen administration as vice-minister for public security (1994–1996) and minister of public security (1996–1998).
From 2002 to 2006, she served in the National Assembly as a deputy for the province of San José.[8]
Chinchilla was one of two vice-presidents elected under the second Arias administration (2006–2010). She resigned the vice-presidency in 2008 in order to prepare her run for the presidency in 2010. On 7 June 2009 she won the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) primary with a 15% margin over her nearest rival, and was thus endorsed as the party's presidential candidate.
Her term ended in 8 May 2014.
References
change- ↑ de Miguel, Veronica (14 August 2012). "Laura Chinchilla: Is honesty enough for Costa Rica?". VOXXI. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ "Chiefs of State and Cabinet members of Foreign Governments". The Central Intelligence Agency of America. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ↑ "2010 Presidential election results" (in Spanish). Supreme Court of Elections. 8 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ↑ "Costa Rican electoral register (name search)". Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones, República de Costa Rica. 8 May 2010. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ↑ "Muere José María Rico, esposo de la expresidenta Laura Chinchilla".
- ↑ "Costa Rica elects first female president, Georgetown grad Laura Chinchilla". Vox Populi, Georgetown's blog of record. 8 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ↑ "Costa Rica elects first woman president, inspiring the region". The Christian Science Monitor. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ↑ "Laura Chinchilla Miranda's curriculum vitae on her Facebook page". Laura Chinchilla Miranda. Retrieved 2010-05-09.